E T III: The Incredible African Adventure
by WogglebugLoveProductions
Summary: E.T. returns to Earth to locate a cure for a plague of illness the people of his home planet have contracted. Elliot and Keys discover it in the form of a specific plant which grows in South Africa. Thus they take the next flight there to retrieve the plant, and also end up finding out more than what came for in Africa.
1. Chapter 1

It was a warm June evening in California. The full moon was glowing large in a clear sky over a quaint suburban house. Inside of this house there was a middle-aged woman sitting by her bed writing a letter to her twenty-two year old son Michael who was now in college. In the next room her fifteen-year-old daughter Gertie was on the phone talking to a boy from her school who she was interested in.

"Well, alright. I'll think about it. Thanks for calling. Bye," said Gertie before putting the phone back onto the receiver.

Gertie went into Mary's bedroom just as she had finished her letter to Michael.

"Mom, I need some advice," she said.

"On what?" asked Mary.

"Boys," said Gertie simply.

Mary smiled with an understanding nod and urged her to continue. "Go on."

"Well, Mark just called me, and he said he would be honored if I would go to this concert with him this Saturday, and afterward he said we could have dinner at a Chinese or Italian restaurant, whichever one I wanted. Was it my imagination, or was he asking me out on a date?"

"I think so," said Mary. "That was how your father first asked me on a date."

"I've never been on a date with anyone before," said Gertie uneasily.

"Is that what you're worried about?" asked Mary.

"Well, yes... kind of," said Gertie. "Also, I like Mark well enough. But he isn't the only one I'm interested in. There's Craig, who's on the basketball team. I'm wondering if I should wait and see if he will ask me out."

Mary thought for a moment and then said, "Well, the shortest way I can give you my advice is to just let your catch come to you instead of spending your life fishing around for what you want. After all, I took my chances with your father and had you and then I took a chance again with Keys and both seem to have been the best catches for me."

"So, you mean that even if it doesn't work out with Mark I can always go fishing again?"asked Gertie.

"Exactly," said Mary. "And it would be wise for you to start now while you're so young so you'll have plenty of time to decide who your soul mate is."

"Thanks Mom. You're the best," said Gertie. Then she went to call back Mark.

In the room off to the next one, Mary's eighteen-year-old son Elliot was sitting with his stepfather who everyone called Keys at their new computer and looking up the various choices of colleges for Elliot as he was just about to graduate from senior high school.

"How about this one," said Keys. "It looks like you'd be able to get a real science degree at it."

"I also want to study astronomy," said Elliot. "And maybe just take a minor in botany."

"You want E.T. to be proud, don't you?" said Keys with a warm understanding smile.

"Yeah, I do," said Elliot. "If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have ever met you and might not even be able to go to college now. I just want to spread all the lessons I learned from E.T. to the world."

Keys nodded. "Tell you what," he said. "You choose your own college to go to, and you do your best while there, and then you and I will both build a foundation for E.T. and everything he brought to us. You'll be my partner as we try to discover more of extra-terrestrial life and learn how to bridge the gap between our worlds apart."

"It's a deal," Elliot said with a delighted grin.

Then after they had decided on the right college to fit Elliot's aspirations they went to their bedrooms to rest for the night.

It was a few hours later, around midnight, when Elliot was awakened suddenly by a slight tremor in his bed. He sat up and rubbing his eyes he saw the half dried up flowers on his windowsill burst into full bloom. Then he looked up and saw the cardboard planets hanging on strings from the ceiling begin spinning around faster and faster.

_He's come back!_ He thought as his heart leaped up to his throat.

He leaped out of his bed and hurried over to the window. He saw a nearly blinding set of flashing light beams hovering down into the backyard. As the lights began to soften he could make out a big round blue object coming to a landing on the grass.

Now he was sure of it and he quickly grabbed his night robe and hurried down the stairs. Once in the living room where he found Keys already hurrying towards the kitchen having felt the commotion going on outside also. Together they rushed to the back door in the kitchen and opening it they saw before them none other than E.T. himself. E.T.'s heart light began glowing in warm recognition of his two closest Earthling friends.

"E.T.! Welcome back!" exclaimed Elliot ecstatically. "I'm so glad to see you again!" He embraced E.T.

"I'm also glad to see you again sooner rather than later," added Keys with a smile.

E.T. smiled sweetly as he returned Elliot's embrace and laid his head against his neck and shoulder. "E.T. is glad to see you again, too." Then as he gently released him and Elliot from their embrace he looked at them with a most serious expression. "I have come to you because I need your help most urgently."

"You do?" said Elliot. "What is your problem?"

"It is not about me really," said E.T. gravely. "It is about my home, my planet, the Green Planet. It has somehow contracted a virus that is starting to effect many of my race there."

"You mean to say there is an epidemic going on at your home planet?" asked Keys with concern.

E.T. nodded. "Exactly. My fellows have sent me here to Earth to get the only known cure for it."

"And do you know what it is?" asked Elliot.

"Botanicus, he is our chief elder, says it is a special kind of plant that grows only on Earth. It is called Agapanthus. Do you know of it?"

"We may be able to find out more about it if we look it up in my encyclopedia on plants," said Keys.

"Then let us do so," said E.T..

Then they went inside where Keys found the encyclopedia in question in one of the bookshelves in his study. He opened it and looked through it for a short while before he landed on the name of the plant E.T. had mentioned.

"Here it is," he said. "It says here Aganpanthus is a special plant that grows a special blue or white flower that is found only in South Africa. People in South Africa known as the Xhosa consider it to be a magical and medicinal plant. They use it to treat heart disease, chest pains, tightness, paralysis, coughs and colds, and the plants leaves also help to bring fevers down."

E.T.'s eyes lit up with hope. "Those are all of the symptoms of the epidemic among the race of my planet. Now I must go to South Africa and retrieve the Agapanthus. How far is this destination from here?"

Keys then took hold of a large world globe from his desk and found the location of it. "We are right here," he said as he pointed to their exact location in California, "And South Africa is... over here." He turned the globe and traced with his finger the distance to South Africa.

Then E.T.'s eyes suddenly became downcast as he said, "Alas, the distance is too far for my spaceship to go on the weak amount of fuel it has. You see, the ones of my home who tend to the plants that make the fuel for our spaceships have all gotten the epidemic virus and can't tend to those special plants and so these plants are starting to die. I have only enough fuel to get me back home safely, and can't make an extra trip to such a far away place. Perhaps my home is destined to perish."

Two enormous tears formed in E.T.'s great blue eyes and began to slowly stream down his face. Keys at once took a handkerchief from the pocket of his robe and dried E.T.'s tears before they went down his neck.

"There's no need to cry," said Elliot. "We can take you to South Africa to get the plant ourselves."

E.T.'s face lit up again. "You can? Have you the mode of transportation to get there?"

"Well, not right here, per se," said Keys with a chuckle. "But we can get there on an airplane by going to the airport after purchasing tickets."

"What is an airplane?" asked E.T. curiously.

"It is kind of like your spaceship... except it's long and thin with wings, and it only flies to places here on Earth," explained Elliot.

"How long will it take to get to our destination on it?" asked E.T.

"Probably no longer than six hours," replied Keys. "And I'll call first thing tomorrow morning for tickets to the very next flight to South Africa."

"There's still one problem left," said Elliot. "We'll be able to get tickets alright, but what about E.T.? He is after all an alien, and not a certified citizen here."

"Well, I'm sure there is some way to bring him along safely," said Keys thoughtfully.


	2. Chapter 2

Early the next morning the sun had just completed its rising over the horizon when Keys and Elliot were dropped off at the airport by Mary.

They picked up their luggage and entered into the airport where first they went through the terminal of inspection. Then they put their luggage onto the railing and watched as it went past the inspection rays and then disappeared into a tunnel and then dropped out of the other end where it was rolled away in a cart.

"Now you will take good care of our luggage, won't you?" Keys asked an attendant.

"Of course, you have nothing to worry about," replied the attendant. "On these airlines we handle every piece of luggage like it was a newborn."

"I hope so," said Elliot.

They then had their tickets checked and marked and went through the passenger's gate and entered the shuttle where at the end they went up the steps of the plane which was set to take off in ten minutes. Just before he stepped aboard Elliot glanced over his shoulder and saw their luggage was being loaded into the back of the plane.

Then they took their seats by a window, sitting side by side, fastened their seat belts, and listened as the pilot began his introduction speech and told them what to do in case of an emergency landing.

"Please keep your seat belts fastened at all times, and enjoy your flight. We should be arriving in South Africa in five to six hours," he said lastly.

Seconds later the roar of the engines were heard as the plane began to move and then lift slowly off of the ground and into the air, soaring into the sky until it was approximately thirty thousand feet in the atmosphere.

Keys and Elliot sat in their seats chewing on gum and reading something to help them in their quest in South Africa. Keys was reading a dictionary of English translations of various South African languages. Elliot was reading a tour guide of the many sights, animals, and native tribes in South Africa which would help lead them to the Agapanthus healing plant for E.T.'s home.

_I sure hope E.T. will be alright,_ Elliot thought with concern for his friend.

Meanwhile, the flight attendant was checking on the luggage in the plane's back compartment. Once he saw that all of it seemed to be safe and secure he turned to leave. Then just before he opened the door to the exit he stopped as he thought for a moment he had just heard a faint sneeze coming from somewhere amongst the luggage. A moment later he decided he must have imagined it and went on his way.

Six hours later, the pilot's voice was heard over the intercom again as he said, "Keep all your seat belts fastened as we are approaching our landing at Cape Town airways in South Africa. The time is one-thirty-four A.M., the temperature is eighty-seven degrees Fahrenheit."

So Keys and Elliot sat still as the plane lowered itself gradually and then skidded to a halt on the runway of the South African airport. They then unfastened their seat belts and exited the plane as the flight attendant held the door open.

They then entered the South African airport where they picked up their luggage and went once again through inspection. Then they got onto a transportation bus waiting outside which took them to the Cape Grace Hotel, which they had reservations for.

After they had checked in they went to their room where they began unpacking their luggage. Elliot unfastened a large brown rectangular shaped trunk and when he opened it E.T. stepped out of it and took a long deep breath of the fresh air.

"I hope your accommodations weren't too uncomfortable for you, E.T.," said Elliot.

"No," said E.T. "Just very stuffy... and bouncy."

"Well," said Keys, "now our main objective is to find the Agapanthus and secure it for E.T.'s planet."

"But where will we find it?" asked Elliot.

"It is used by the Xhosa people so we ought to be able to find it near one of their villages," said Keys.

"But where will we find one of them?" asked Elliot.

"In this guide to all the people and places there are around here," said Keys holding up a large booklet with pictures of color. They looked through it and found out where the nearest Xhosa tribe dwelt.

They then went and rented a jeep and set off to find them. As Keys drove the jeep and Elliot sat beside him with E.T. in his lap they looked around at the gorgeous scenery. All around them they could see the tallest and greenest and leafiest tress and tall grass beneath them. They could also see high mountains in the distance.

They also listened to the many sounds around them, from large crickets to large animals. They could make out the call of a cheetah, the roar of a lion, the growl of a tiger, the trumpet of an elephant, and various different hoots of monkeys.

When suddenly they heard a very loud monkey call which could be described as a pant-hoot come from near them up ahead E.T. stood up and leaned over the windshield with his eyes wide and unblinking.

"What's the matter, E.T.?" asked Elliot with concern.

"Shh... Listen!" said E.T. in a loud whisper.

They listened and heard the monkey call again. "Oooohhh-ooohhhh-oohh! Ahhhh-ahhhhh-ahhhhh!"

"It's the call of a chimpanzee, and it sounds like that of a male leader," said Keys.

"It is telling us there is trouble up ahead!" exclaimed E.T. with alarm.

"You mean you can understand the chimps language?" asked Keys.

"Sure," said Elliot. "E.T. can understand the language of all animals and plants there are. If he says the monkey's cry means trouble we better believe him."

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Keys.

"We go follow the call and find out what is wrong," said E.T. decisively.

So they all got out of the jeep and followed E.T. as he led them into the dense jungle following the echo of the monkey leader's pant-hoot.

After they had gone on for a little while E.T. stopped and started trying to make a call like a chimp, imitating the call they had heard before.

Keys looked at Elliot who looked at him in turn and shrugged. Then they both began trying to imitate the monkey call of the chimpanzee leader.

Then suddenly, almost out of the blue, they heard an answering cry as a large and bulky black chimp leaped out of the trees and jumped down in front of them. He looked up at them with a serious and solemn expression as he began chittering in the monkey language.

E.T. seemed to be listening to him very carefully, and then at the end of the chimp's speech his eyes went wide with alarm and he turned back to Keys and Elliot and translated for them.

"The chimp say there is trouble here in jungle. He say there have arrived poachers here to kill their elephant neighbors."

"Poachers!?" exclaimed Elliot incredulously. "Here in South Africa!?"

The chimpanzee made a grunting, hooting sound and E.T. said, "He say he not lie."

"Of course," said Keys coldly. "The poachers have come here to maim the big elephants so they can snap off their tusks and sell them off to make ivory out of."

The chimpanzee began making frantic hooting sounds.

"He ask if we can do anything about it," said E.T..

"Well, we wish we could," Keys started to say.

"And we will," E.T. finished for him and held up his forefinger which he lit for emphasis.

The chimpanzee then clapped its hands and stomped its feet as it chattered and then climbed up into the trees once again.

"He say thank you," said E.T..

"Gee, we'd love to help if we could, E.T.," Elliot said dismally. "But what can we honestly do? We're just two ordinary guys."

Keys eyes lit up at E.T.. "But he's not," he said with realization.

"Oh! That's right!" said Elliot. "But what are you gonna do, E.T.?"

E.T. smiled as he closed his eyes and turned on his heart light and made a low humming sound.

"Oh, I see!" said Elliot. "He's gonna speak to the poachers through his heart light so that they can feel the empathy that we feel for the elephants."

"Well, then let's hurry and find them!" exclaimed Keys.

They then rushed back to the jeep and drove forward into the jungle. After driving for about a half a mile they began to come to a rather small clearing where they could saw a great herd of big elephants in the distance. One of them raised its trunk above its head and doused itself with sparkling water.

"There's the elephants," Elliot whispered. "They're bathing at the water hole."

"And here come the poachers. Look!" said Keys pointing farther in the distance behind the elephants.

Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go teach them a lesson," said Keys.

They all got out of the jeep and went up closer to the elephants and crouched low behind a thicket of underbrush. E.T. closed his eyes and turned on his heart light.

The poachers began to take out their rifles.

"How can they be so heartless?" Elliot said in a low hiss.

"Ivory may cost us a lot of money, but it costs elephants their lives!" Keys muttered underneath gritted teeth.

E.T.'s heart light flickered and faded as he opened his eyes and said in an anxious whisper, "You must keep your hearts full of peace. I must feel only love around me if I am to succeed."

E.T. then closed his eyes again and turned his heart light back on. Elliot and Keys at the same time began to think of their love and care for E.T. and for each other. Then Elliot reached down and took hold of E.T.'s right hand and gave it a tight loving squeeze. E.T.'s heart light then blazed brilliantly.

The poachers hoisted their rifles, and then just as quickly they lowered them to the ground. They looked at each other with confused and sad expressions on their faces. Then they looked back at the elephants. In their eyes it could plainly be seen that they were feeling in their hearts that what they were about to do was very wrong and inhumane. They then turned and left the sight.

Elliot and Keys grinned in victory as E.T. slowly let his blazing heart light fade out.

They then went back to the jeep and found the chimpanzee leader again and told him of their success. He congratulated and thanked them fervently in his monkey language which E.T. translated. Then a large female chimp with a tiny baby chimp on her shoulders hopped onto the branch he was on.

"He say they are his wife and son and he is the leader of his band," E.T. said as he translated the chimps chittering speech. "He say he took the position shortly before his son was born after overthrowing the old leader." Then E.T. listened intently for a moment longer and then said, "and they say there be more trouble in the jungle with their other neighbors. They ask if we can help."

"Well, we will do our very best," Keys promised.


	3. Chapter 3

As they drove along in the jeep the ground beneath them became more and more rough and bumpy and over time the jungle they were in began thinning out and then they were driving along the dusty road through a valley where trees and plants grew less often and at the same time they heard less animal sounds. Then they suddenly could hear a lot of loud growling and hissing coming from somewhere around them.

"What is that noise?" asked E.T..

"It sounds like a couple of big cats having a wrestling tournament," said Elliot.

"It's coming from over there," said Elliot. "The chimpanzee leader said there was more trouble here, so maybe we should see what we can do about as we promised him we would."

Keys agreed and drove towards the growling. They stopped by a large thicket of bushes where the sounds were coming from behind. They parked the jeep and got out and went around the bushes. There they found two large female cats, one looked like lioness as it was a light tawny color, and one looked like a tigeress as it was dark orange with black stripes, and both were biting and clawing at each other in a tangled heap on the ground which they were tearing up in their struggle against each other.

"They seem to be trying to kill each other," said Keys.

"But why?" asked E.T..

"Hey, you two, break it up!" exclaimed Elliot to the two fighting cats. But they didn't seem to hear him and continued with their battle.

Then E.T. closed his eyes and began making a humming sound. Then his heart light gave off a bright glare for a moment. Then, amazingly, the lioness and tigress stopped their fighting and fell to the ground as if they had both been stunned and then slowly they got up on their paws again and stared at them in curiosity and let out low growls.

E.T. then appeared to be listening silently to them for a while and then he turned to Keys and Elliot and translated. "They say they were fighting because they both wanted to hunt in this same territory and they both think it is not big enough for the both of them to hunt in."

Just then the lioness gave out an angry sounding snarl, and then the tigress looked at her and gave one in return.

"And," E.T. continued, "they each have families to they must hunt for."

"Well, that really does present a problem," said Elliot. "It seems you one of you ought to find another place to hunt in."

The two large cats each let out low murmurs.

"They say they don't know of any other hunting grounds, neither of them," said E.T..

"Well, just because you don't know of any more, doesn't mean there aren't any more," said Elliot.

"That's right," said Keys. "And we can find a new hunting ground for you. We have a map with us of the entire area."

Keys then went to the jeep and found the map of South Africa they had brought with them. He studied it for a while and then said, "Over the next mountain to the left of here and between two hills there is a fine place of open land where you can hunt for anything you may want."

They then showed the two great cats the pictures on the map as E.T. pointed everything out with hand gestures. Then the lioness and tigress purred their thanks to them and went their separate ways.

"Well, there's another problem solved," said Elliot with satisfaction.

They then got back into the jeep and drove off again. They hadn't gone very far when they looked out ahead of them and saw a large crocodile crawling slowly across the road. Keys abruptly stopped the jeep when they came close to it and they all got out and went up to it.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" Elliot asked the crocodile. "Shouldn't you be some place safe where there's water?"

E.T. listened silently for a moment and then translated, "She said she is carrying eggs and is looking for a safe place to lay them where they won't be touched by predators."

They then noticed the bulge on her underside. Keys said, "Looks like we'll need the map again. We'll find where there is a safe place for your babies to hatch, Mrs. Crocodile."

He then found the map again and studied it for a while and then showed it to crocodile and said, "Right here in this area not far from here, there is a swampy bit of land where you can lay your eggs and your babies will be safely far away from all predators.

The expect mother crocodile thanked them and then went on her way.

Then they got back into the jeep and continued on their way. After a while, Elliot looked up and said, "Look! There is a chimp up in that dying tree right there!"

"What he is doing there so far away from the other chimps?" E.T. wondered.

"Maybe we can ask him," said Elliot.

They got out of the jeep and went up to the tree and Elliot called up to the chimpanzee, "Hey, you up there! Why are so far away from your others!"

The chimp looked startled and then when he saw them he began climbing down the tree and stopped on a low branch a few feet above their heads and made low and melancholy chattering sounds.

E.T. translated in a sympathetic voice, "He said he was once the leader of the chimps of his band until a few years ago when he was overthrown in combat by his rival and since then he has been too ashamed to let another of his kind see his face so he makes his home here from now on."

Elliot and Keys looked at the chimp and saw that he had various scars in his dark hair, and looking into his eyes they could clearly see his mental scars were far deeper than his physical ones.

"We're very sorry for you," said Elliot kindly. "Can you give us any directions to the nearest village of humans here?"

The chimpanzee made chattering sounds and gestures with his hands which E.T. translated for them.

"He said there is a small village of Xhosa over the next high hill, and he has seen some of them from time to time and they are having problems of their own."

"What kind of problems?" asked Elliot.

The chimpanzee hooted and E.T. translated again. "They have trouble getting along with another tribe called the Zulu because of their differences in beliefs and places of living."

"Well, we'll see if there is anything we can do about it, and then hopefully they can help us as we're looking for a plant they use for healing sicknesses called Agapanthus."

Then they got back into the jeep and drove off towards a steep hill in the far distance where the Xhosa village lay.

Elliot thought about the animals they had met, especially the chimpanzees. "You know, the link between us and the animal kingdom is really much closer than I ever knew before," said Elliot.


	4. Chapter 4

As they drove down the steep bumpy hill they could they the African village below. It was a clear and grassy piece of land dotted with houses that were small one-story huts made of wood and some were paint pale colors. As they drove closer they could see farmlands spread out among the houses with various animals of cattle roaming about.

"This looks like a nice, peaceful village," said Elliot. "I don't see how anything could be wrong here."

"Let's ask the first person we see about it," said Keys.

They then parked the jeep at the bottom of the hill and entered into the village. They had only gone a short distance when they found a small boy of about eight years old. His skin was a very dark mahogany brown, almost totally black, and he was wearing only two thick leather flaps on in front of and behind of him. He had a bright red macaw with green tipped wings on his left shoulder. He seemed to be pulling some things out of the earth in front of his house.

They walked up to him and Keys spoke to him in the Xhosa language he had learned on the way here.

"Hello, we are visitors here from America. I am Keys and this is my stepson Elliot, and our friend E.T.. What is your name?"

The boy looked up at them and spoke, "My name is Thabo, and this is Siindiwe," he nodded at the macaw on his shoulder. "We're just harvesting our crops for this year."

"I see," said Key. "That's good. We heard you're having some trouble around here. Is it true?"

"Well..." said Thabo hesitantly. "All I know is a girl in the Zulu village who I like to play with, except hers and my parents won't let us."

"But why not?" asked Keys.

"They say it is because they think our land belongs to them and they are trying to get the government to give it back to them."

"But why do they want your land all to themselves?" asked Keys.

"I've heard they say it is because they used to live here until a war of a hundred years ago split them apart. They also have beliefs that are different from ours. I'm told we are watched over by the spirits of our ancestors and that they have a different set of beliefs about a god that lives in this Zion Christian Church as I heard it was called."

"Well, what is your opinion on these things?" asked Keys.

"I really don't have one," admitted the eight year old boy plainly. "I have no idea which set of beliefs is correct, just that they can't both be right."

E.T. shook his head regretfully as he murmured, "These humans all think they're so special, just because theirs is the only planet in their solar system that supports life."

"You see, our friend E.T. here is from another planet from ours that is far out in space, millions of light years away," explained Elliot, feeling a bit awkward at admitting this to such a stranger.

"You mean... he is... from beyond the sky?" asked Thabo with his eyes wide and round.

"Well, yeah. Sort of," said Elliot.

"Oh! I've always wanted to meet one of you!" Thabo exclaimed as he dropped down onto his knees and bowed in front of E.T.. "I'm sure everyone here would want to meet you also. Why don't you come with me now and meet my friend Mhlobo, the Shaman!"

"Sure, we'd love to," said Keys.

Then Thabo led them to a very small hut in a far corner of the village outside of which they found a little old man with paling dark and wrinkled skin and long bony hands and feet sitting in front of what looked like a large old-fashioned rusty kettle with smoke billowing out from it. As they approached he looked up but did not seem to directly at them.

"He is blind," Thabo explained. "He says he sees only with his heart because of it."

They stepped up to the elderly Shaman and Thabo spoke to him. "Greetings, Mhlobo. I bring you visitors from America. Keys, Elliot, and E.T.. E.T. is a man from beyond the sky! I was wondering if perhaps you could tell me why he came to us."

The old Shaman smiled thinly and closed his unseeing eyes as he nodded slowly. "Yes, of course I will," he said in a voice that sounded a lot like E.T.'s with a South African accent.

He then reached into a pouch that was sitting in his lap and poured what looked like colored dirt into the smoking kettle in front of him. Then the smoke in the kettle became much thicker and turned pink with a strong scent to it. Mhlobo then began waving his hands over it as he peered into it with his eyes still closed. He began speaking in a slow, chanting voice,

"I see he has come to prevent a great catastrophe where he lives. But that the true reason for his being here is to save us ourselves from our destruction which we are at our own hands of."

Then the smoke in the kettle faded from pink to white again and then began evaporating.

"Thank you, Mhlobo," said Thabo bowing to the Shaman.

"Excuse me, but what did he mean by we are the ones to prevent your destruction?" asked Keys.

"He means, like I said, that everyone here would like to meet your friend E.T. because he is from the sky, and as he is a greater being to us they will have to listen to him if he tells them to stop fighting over each other's land and beliefs."

"What a good idea! Why didn't I think of it?" said Elliot.

So then, Thabo, and Keys and Elliot went around the village and told the people in to come together in one place where E.T. who they referred to as 'the great being from beyond the sky' was, and they in turn told their neighbors the same, and so on, and so on, until they were all gathered together in the one spot where E.T. was.

E.T. stood before the throngs of South African people and addressed them in a deeply serious voice.

"I am the greater being from the sky you may have heard of."

"He is a god!" exclaimed someone in the crowd.

"No! He is a spirit sent from our ancestors!"

A squabble began to break out among them, and then E.T. silenced them by flashing his heart light to regain their full attention on him.

"I am neither a god, nor a spirit," he said plaintively. "I am but a being who comes from a different world from yours as there are many other worlds beyond the sky that you know of. My people and I want only to be friends with yours, no matter what they are like. And I was sent here to deliver to you this message of peace which I wish for you to share among yourselves and your neighbors known as the Zulu. This land is neither yours nor theirs, it is only that of the Earth's and can belong to no one other than itself."

The people listened and took in this speech in an awed silence, then they were silent for a few moments more, until one man stepped forward and said,

"We promise we will abide by your wish, oh wise one from beyond the sky."

Then the other people nodded and softly murmured their agreement. Then they all turned around and headed back to their homes.

Afterward, Thabo ran up to E.T. and gave him a big hug. "How can I ever thank you enough?" he said ecstatically.

"Well, Mhlobo did mention E.T. had come here for something to save his people also," Keys reminded him.

"And what is that?" asked Thabo.

"It's a plant that you use for healing remedies called Agapanthus," said Keys. "He needs it to cure his people of a virus that is spreading across his planet in an epidemic. Do you know where we can find such a plant?"

"Certainly," said Thabo brightly. "The medicine man has it in plenty. Come with me."

He then led them to another small hut that wasn't far from where they were and inside they found a little old man wearing many pieces of native South African jewelery and garments in a native laboratory. He seemed to recognize Thabo when they entered.

"Ah, Thabo. What can I do for you today, my young friend?"

"It's not for me. It's for my friends here," Thabo said. "They need one of your Agapanthus'."

"No problem," said the tribal doctor warmly. "I have them right here."

He then took out a large wicker basket from underneath his desk and inside it was filled with long-stemmed plants with tiny white and blue flowers on them that looked exactly like the picture in the encyclopedia.

E.T. eagerly selected a handful of them.

"My home will now be saved!" he said with immense relief. He turned to Keys and Elliot and said, "You are true friends."

Afterward, they stayed the night with Thabo and his family and had a dinner of what they called "umngqusho" which was made from dried, stamped corn and beans, milk, beef, and mutton.


End file.
